Microstructure and mechanical properties of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy–zinc coated steel braze-welded joints

Abstract The laser braze-welding technique was aimed to join a low alloyed zinc coated steel used in automotive industry, with a deformable, aging hardenable aluminum alloy from the 6xxx series using as filler material a AlSi12 wire. The heterogeneous joint was obtained by welding of aluminum alloy with the filler wire and by brazing of molten aluminum alloy together with the filler wire on the surface of a zinc coated steel which remained in solid state. The results showed that by using a proper heat input, the zinc coated steel was brazed without a melting process by the aluminum alloy which was in liquid state. On the interface between the zinc coated steel and the welded seam, a thin layer (the thickness was 6 to 8 μm) formed consisting of star (Al-Fe-Si) or needle shape (Mg-Al-Fe-Mn) intermetallic phases.